Out of My League
by SiriusAllPunked
Summary: Tom Riddle. Myrtle Brennan. Two completely different students who never spoke to each other unless forced. So when Tom Riddle begins forming a friendship with her, Myrtle is surprised and irritated. The story of the one girl who dared to love a monster.
1. No You

**I do NOT own Harry Potter or the characters. I do NOT own anything which someone else clearly owns. This story is purely fan made and does not represent the ideas of the original author, J.K. Rowling. **

**Now that that fooey is over, I hope you enjoy this. I was watching the second Harry Potter movie again {the millionth or so time} and when I got to the part where little Tom is shown and Myrtle {dead body} comes carried out, a thought struck me. Me, being the hopeless romantic that I am-one who makes a bigger deal out of relationships than are need be, thought, "Hey...I wonder what ELSE went on between Tom and Myrtle." So, here I am, writing what I think should have happened. Blah, blah blah...be critical all you want. It's interesting though...and I hope you guys like Myrtle as much as I do. For once, she's not whiny and irritating {and kinda creepy in the I'm-a-ghost-so-I'll-stalk-Prefects kind of way). Still, she's got that firey temper that we all know and love. Enjoy!**

**Chapter One: **

**The Strange Affairs  
**

Thunder clouds rolled loudly over the school as students, clad in their uniforms, raced to find shelter. A young girl with long brown hair flung herself underneath the nearest corridor, leaning against the cold stone to catch her breath. She patted herself down, trying to find a dry bit of clothing she could use to wipe her rain speckled glasses with. It was useless. She was completely drenched to her underwear.

"Damn it." Myrtle Brennan muttered, running a pale hand through her hair. This was just what she needed-a set of soaking wet, see through uniforms right before class. She mentally cursed herself for lounging out on the other side of the castle. Still, Rowdy McGregor _had _asked nicely for help with his Potions homework, and she _did _enjoy helping her fellow students out. Her skills had to come in _somewhere. _

But now here she was, her white button down shirt clinging to her not-particularly-seductive body and her bra was probably showing, save the annoyingly thin tie that fell straight down her chest. Myrtle cursed the dark blue bra she had chosen for the day. Why, oh why, could she not be like other girls and always remember that one was to wear a white bra with a white shirt at all times?! It was no wonder Sabetha Reynolds, Myrtle's best friend, said that Myrtle was least feminine girl she had ever come across.

And-of course-she had not brought her cloak. Curses.

The frantic buzzing of students around her jolted her back to reality, reminding her that-despite her wardrobe malfunction, she still had to get to Transfiguration. Myrtle doubted that Professor McGonagal would appreciate a student being late. However, under the circumstances, Myrtle might get away…No, it was not worth the risk.

Myrtle reached into her soaked canvas bag, pulled out her wand and muttered a quick, simple drying spell.

Sometimes she forgot she was a witch.

Thank God she was.

The classroom was almost full by the time Myrtle got there, save for a few students who's claim to fame was their tardiness. Thankfully, the young teacher was nowhere in sight. Myrtle raced to her assigned seat near the back of the classroom. She shoved her bag onto the floor beside her feet and dropped her head onto the desk.

_Thud._

_Thud._

_Thud. Thud. Thud._

"Do you mind?" A voice made Myrtle stop her self-abuse. Her brown eyes met the hazel eyes of a boy. Not just any boy either.

"Sorry…" she muttered, tearing her gaze from that of Tom Riddle's. The boy glared at her for a fleeting second before turning back to face the front of the classroom.

Tom Riddle never made any sense. He was popular-there was no doubt about that. After all, most Slytherins _were _popular, especially the ones that looked as good as Tom Riddle. He was wealthy and he was brilliant. Tom easily gave the teachers a run for their money. But, unlike every other popular student-Olive Hornby for example-he was awfully quiet. Tom did not prance around Hogwarts like he was a god-though from the openly lustrous glances he was getting from every girl in the classroom he could surely be mistaken. He did not feel the need to gossip constantly or find a way to be the center of attention. No, if Myrtle was not mistaken, all forms of the stereotypical popular kid were wasted on Tom, despite the looks and the cash. Tom Riddle could easily be mistaken for one of her kind…an outcast of sorts. He seemed to have a permanent chip on his shoulder, always glaring with this eternal pissed off expression in his eyes. Myrtle supposed that was what made him so…attractive, if that was the correct word.

Yes, Tom Riddle was definitely a _bad boy_.

Myrtle shook her head, not allowing herself to dwell too much on the boy. She had had classes with Tom for six years and not once had he ever really noticed her existence, unless of course, they were forced to work on a project together, or-like just now-he was snarling at her for doing something obnoxious. Myrtle may have found herself prey to penny romance novels but she was logical enough to know that she did not live in one. Tom Riddle would be saved for someone else to remember.

Professor McGonnagal would be a very attractive woman, had she not seemed so…knotted up. The young teacher always wore her brown hair tied in a tight knot at the back of her head. Her thin glasses rode on the end of her nose and the robes she wore were something Myrtle would spot in her grandmother's closet. Teachers were not supposed to be attractive, Myrtle figured.

The Professor began her lesson and Myrtle dropped her head into her palm, not bothering to listen. She was intelligent enough to go a class period or four without paying attention. Out of the corner of her eye she glanced at Tom Riddle again. He was not paying attention either. Myrtle wondered if he ever did. She tried not to make a sport out of staring at him.

"Can I help you with something?" It was that sneer again. Myrtle blinked, realizing that she had in fact been staring at Tom.

"Nope. Sorry, I just dozed off." Myrtle turned her head from his, forcing back the blush that definitely was itching to cross her face. Tom 'humphed' and glanced back at McGonagal.

Myrtle sighed. Yes, this was turning out to be a very, very crappy day.

************

"You know, sometimes I really envy you, My." Sabetha muttered, tossing her blonde pony tail over her shoulder. Myrtle glared at her friend. There was no reason on the planet for Sabetha to ever be jealous of her. What with Sabetha's prettiness and her ability to fit in…

"Why on earth…?"

Sabetha fixed her hair, glancing at her reflection in the mirror. Myrtle rolled her eyes, lying comfortably on her bed. The storm continued to rage outside.

"You can shrug everything off, you know? Nothing is ever that big of a deal to you." Myrtle did not know whether that was an insult or a compliment.

"Thank you?"

"Well, see, here is the thing." Sabetha's hands fell to her side. "I asked Tom to Hogsmeade with me this weekend and he completely blew me off. I know I'm not really popular, but I'm not totally unpopular…you would think the guy could give me a chance…"

Myrtle sat up apruptly in her bed.

"You're kidding me!"

"Yeah." Sabetha growled. "He was totally ungentlemen-like."

"No, no, no. I mean, you seriously asked Riddle to go with you?" Sabetha glanced at her. She raised a brow prettily before smoothing down her blonde hair again.

"_Of course_ I asked Tom Riddle to go with me. Where have you _been, _Myrtle? He's absolutely dishy. Quidditch does that boy well."

Myrtle rolled her eyes behind her glasses. "Exactly. Isn't he kind of out of your league?"

Sabetha gasped. "That was rather rude. Are you telling me that _I _could not get a boy like Tom Riddle?"

Myrtle laughed. "That is _exactly _what I am saying."

Sabetha picked up her pillow and thrust it at her friend's head; thus started another exciting pillow fight.

Dinner was being served by the time Sabetha and Myrtle rose out of bed and dressed. It was still raining cats and dogs, so Myrtle pulled a sweater over her head and pulled on her comfiest pair of jeans. She pulled her own wavy brown hair into a messy bun and waited by the door for Sabetha who was putting finishing touches on her make up.

The two best friends hurried out of the corridors and down the staircase to the Great Hall. It was already buzzing with excitement-courtesy of the rain storm. Sabetha led the way to the Ravenclaw table. Myrtle glanced around the hall, not sure what she was looking for.

Or _who_…

Myrtle shook her head and began piling her plate with whatever she could. Sabetha was talking animatedly beside her to Morgan Waters and Georgina Sampson. Myrtle ate in silence, her mind wandering, as it usually did. She thought about Sabetha's attempt to ask Tom Riddle out. It was almost laughable. It wasn't that Sabetha wasn't pretty enough-no, Sabetha was gorgeous. She had long, straight, silky blonde hair, cobalt blue eyes and a clean, tan complexion. Yes, Sabetha could get _any _boy with her looks-however, Tom Riddle was just _different_.

He wasn't seen with his arm draped around a new tart every week. He didn't flirt with all the ladies. In fact, in the six years Myrtle had known the boy he never was seen alone with another girl. He kept to himself; not that that stopped any of the girls. Girls practically threw themselves at him. Tom Riddle may have been an unpleasant sort of fellow to the naked eye, but he was charming, Myrtle supposed.

He had short, wavy chestnut brown hair and hazel eyes. He had a good build, probably from all those years he had devoted to Quidditch. His square jaw was always set-due to the unnerving frown that was plastered to his face. Yes, Tom Riddle _was _very good looking. Not that she would ever admit that.

Sabetha was, in fact, pretty enough. Myrtle knew for a fact that there were plenty of boys who would love to take her to Hogsmeade. Still, even beautiful and athletic Sabetha stood no chance with the cold and calculated Tom Riddle. It just did not fit.

Of course, Myrtle was no catch herself. She absent mindedly began smoothing down her brown hair, fixed her glasses-which were already straight on her nose, and ran her tongue against her teeth to remove any food. Compared to most of the girls her age, Myrtle was plain, boring looking. She had pale skin and a slim frame. She had brown eyes, copies of her father who had long since passed away-an accident in one of the machine farms, so the boss had said, and everyone was truly, deeply sorry.

Even at sixteen, Myrtle did not have much to brag about. Her breasts were small, underdeveloped still. She had a clean complexion and a flat stomach-courtesy of a health obsessed mother. Her hair was thick and full, beautiful chestnut waves that fell all the way to her mid back. But the attractiveness ended there. Other than a spotless face and volumised locks, Myrtle could not find a decent thing about her looks; least of all anything that would attract someone like Tom Riddle.

Gorgeous, silent dreamboats like Tom Riddle did not go for gawky, angry girls like Myrtle Brennan.

"Don't worry about him, Sabetha!" Margret Ramsey cried, indigently. Sabetha had told them about Tom Riddle and his rude decline to Hogsmeade. Myrtle bit her lip and dropped her eyes to her plate, to refrain from rolling her eyes. The other Ravenclaw girls did this all the time. They would all be smitten with a boy, he would blow off one of the girls and would become a _rude obnoxious toerag who didn't deserve a minute of so-and-so's time_ and right after, they would be all over him too. By the time they got up to their dorms one of the girls would have already grabbed Tom Riddle's elbow and tell him 'how obnoxious it must be to have silly little girls not getting the hint'.

Georgina Sampson looked away. She was the only other girl who noticed the girls' behavior. Already Megan and Margret were eying Tom Riddle appreciatively.

Not wanting any part of the scheme, Myrtle downed her food quickly and shuffled to her feet. She told Sabetha and the others that she wanted to finish her book before it got too late and left the Great Hall with a sigh of relief. There was no fun listening to gossip that obviously did not concern her or anything she really cared about. Sabetha would get over Tom's rejection in no time. Tom rejected people all the time, it was no big deal.

The thought made Myrtle stop. What did she know, anyway? She had never asked a boy out, or been asked out. She kept to herself, burying her face in her work or a good book, ignoring the social world of Hogwarts, sans the Quidditch matches she eagerly attended.

But she was oblivious to the world of romance. She could say she understood them from the Muggle romance novels that lined the makeshift bookcase beside her bed, but in reality she was dumb. Maybe being rejected by Tom Riddle actually _meant _something to someone like Sabetha.

She shook her head, choosing not to dwell on it any longer. Sabetha would be just fine, she thought, as she trudged to her room.


	2. Like Walking Into A Dream

** I do NOT own Harry Potter. **

CHAPTER TWO:

**Like Walking Into a Dream**

Myrtle had been right. By Saturday, the day of the Hogsmeade trip, Sabetha had almost forgotten the Tom incident. Sabetha, Adrianna Sinclair, Margret Ramsey and Georgina Sampson were all talking excitedly about the day's events.

Sabetha had gotten a date. John Whinston asked her after dinner the night she was turned down by Tom. Margret was going with a Gryffindor named Elijah Haggerdee and Adrianna was going with her Slytherin boyfriend, Tristian Black. Even Georgina, who was most like Myrtle in keeping to herself, had a date; Logan Phillips, the other Ravenclaw beater that played with her.

Sabetha had offered to find Myrtle a nice boy, but Myrtle declined. She usually went stag to Hogwarts events. Now, she began rethinking. All the girls would be with dates-girls Myrtle usually hung out with.

'Oh well,' Myrtle thought dismissively. 'It's not such a big deal. There's plenty to do in Hogsmeade.' She began to feel the excitement bubbling in the pit of her stomach. There was nothing more fun than a day out of Hogwarts. Not that Myrtle was much of a shopper, in fact; she was a downright boring one, but she was still a girl. Girls had essentials, right?

"Oh, Myrtle, I wish you would have gone with James Hallowell. He's such a charming boy."Sabetha was saying as she, Margret and Adrianna grouped together to fix their makeup in the only decent mirror in their room. Adrianna looked up in surprise.

"I hear James is still single." She said, a sly smile forming on her cherry colored lips. Margret frowned prettily.

"I don't see why _she _turned _him _down." She said, looking in the mirror to apply her lipstick. "James is an amazing catch for a girl like her."

Myrtle rolled her eyes. Most Ravenclaw girls did not have a problem with her, but Margret seemed to. Myrtle smirked and rolled off her bed, where she had been lounging, watching her roommates fuss to get ready.

"Awe, did Tom Riddle turn you down? I can't blame the guy, seeing the way you practically threw yourself at him."

Margret paled and Sabetha looked at her, her mouth ajar.

"You asked Tom out? But you said…"

"Ah, Sabs," Myrtle said, pulling on her coat and heading to the door, "you have much still to learn about the ways of your so-called-friends." And with that she left, feeling rather victorious. Margret was a snob and Myrtle could not understand why Sabetha spent so much time with her.

As Myrtle entered the courtyard, where the students were all to meet, there was already a rather large crowed. It was made up mostly of boys, waiting for their girls to finish powdering their noses and painting their faces. Myrtle took a seat on the concrete water fountain that was abandoned, away from the crowed. She straightened the beanie on her head, straightened her glasses and then pulled the latest novel she'd been working on out of her bag.

She looked up when she felt someone stand before her. Tom Riddle, in all his black winter attire glory. Myrtle sighed and closed her book, looking up at him.

"Can I help you, Mr. Riddle?" She asked, not bothering to hide the irritation of her reading being interrupted. Tom raised a brow before taking a seat next to her. Myrtle looked at him like he had grown another head. She quickly glanced around, praying that Sabetha would not see this and think she, Myrtle, was hitting on Tom Riddle minutes after scolding Margret.

"_Crime and Punishment_?" He asked, raising a brow again. She glanced down at her book and nodded slowly. She usually did not enjoy crime novels, but was a sucker for Russian literature.

"Muggle novel…"Myrtle said offhandedly, knowing Tom's attitude toward anything Muggle-related. He scrunched up his nose, as expected and looked away from the book and away from her.

"Can I help you, Riddle?" She asked again, feeling herself color from his unexpected and rather close proximity. He glanced back at her for a fleeting second before looking down at his feet.

"You just looked lonely. You're always by yourself."

"So are you; and you're Mr. Popular." She pointed out. He nodded, shoving his hands in his coat pockets.

"So, you noticed I'm alone a lot….and decided to join me?" Myrtle asked slowly, still not understanding why he decided to sit next to her. He nodded again, as if it explained everything. Myrtle shifted her body around, enough to look Tom Riddle in the eye.

"Riddle…you've ignored me for-what?-six years? Now, all of a sudden you want to talk? What gives?"

He stayed silent before moving to his feet and walking away.

"That's not what I meant." She muttered, annoyed.

Sabetha and the others found her, thankfully, long after the Tom incident. Myrtle kept playing the scene in her head-gorgeous Tom Riddle moving to sit next to gawky and ugly Myrtle Brennan. It was like something out of one her romance novels.

"Oh, Myrtle! I'm so excited!" Sabetha exclaimed, throwing her arm animatedly around Myrtle's shoulders. Myrtle looked at her and then at the others. Adrianna shrugged and Margret looked away, scowling. Georgina seemed off, looking around the crowd.

"Well ladies, I see the team. I'm gonna go say hullo." Georgina said, moving toward the Ravenclaw Quidditch team.

"See you at the Boar's Head. One o'clock, sharp!" Sabetha called after her. Georgina waved her hand in response.

"Okay, so plan of action…" Adrianna said, pulling Sabetha back into the circle they had formed. "We'll go ahead and disperse, meet up with the guys."

"Do we want some alone time first or later?" Sabetha asked, looking at each girl.

"Later." Margret said, running a hand through her blonde hair. "Elijah and I could use some up-close-and=personal time."

Adrianna grinned. "Yeah, and Tristian wanted me to go Christmas shopping with him. What do you say we all meet up at the Boar's Head at one and after lunch we can all stay together?"

"Perfect."

"Good idea."

They looked at Myrtle, expectantly, as if she, too, had a boy she wanted to spend the first half of the day with.

"Sounds like a winner." Myrtle muttered, standing up. Margret, Sabetha and Adrianna grinned and left Myrtle, separating to find their dates. Myrtle rolled her eyes again, slowly following the now huge crowd out to where the carriages were.

She found an empty one and sat down, glaring out the window. This was not new, but usually, Sabetha would be with her no matter what. Even the times she had a beau she would stick loyally by Myrtle's side. Now, here she was, alone in a carriage while the rest of Hogwarts got excited about the trip they would be taking to Hogsmeade with their boys and girls.

The carriage was about to disembark when the door flew open and Tom Riddle climbed in, shaking water droplets off his shoulders.

Myrtle stared at him, eyes wide with questions. He looked just as surprised to see her.

"Oh. I didn't realize this was taken." Tom said, moving to leave the cart.

"Oh. It's just me."

Tom looked back at her.

"Where's your posse?"

Myrtle frowned. "Gone in other carts with their dates, I suppose."

Tom nodded and sat back down. He flicked the lock on the door. Myrtle raised a brow.

"I don't like crowded carriages."

She nodded understandingly and shifted her attention back to the window. It was raining slightly, but Myrtle knew it was clear up by the time they reached Hogsmeade. She bounced a bit as the carriage began to move, but the two sat in silence for most of the trip.

Myrtle sneaked at look at Tom. He looked devilishly handsome, wearing a long black cloak over a black shirt and pants and a black hat adorning his head. She grumbled, not wanting to fall into the same psycho-trap that the other girls had fallen into.

"So, you don't have a date?" Tom asked, surprising Myrtle. She looked at him, blinked and then looked down at her hands, suddenly feeling very embarrassed.

"Guys don't like me like that."

Tom raised both brows and frowned. "You don't know that."

Myrtle laughed nervously and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I know it enough. Six years and not one date…I think that means something."

"Perhaps," Tom said, shrugging his shoulders. "You do it to yourself, you know." He added. Myrtle looked at him, outraged.

"What?"

"No one asking you out…well, that's your fault." Myrtle fumbled for words but came up blank. How on earth was thisher fault?

"You put people off. You're threatening. You always know the right answer, you always glare at people, you keep to yourself, and every time you talk it's sarcastic."

Myrtle laughed incredulously. "I beg your pardon?" She said, gaining confidence. "If I'm not mistaken, you just described yourself, Tom, so don't lecture me on how _I _should behave."

Tom grinned then, irritating Myrtle even more.

"You're right. However…" his grin turned more into a smirk, "my stand offish behavior doesn't deter me from dating and having a social life."

Myrtle's jaw fell slightly and she shook her head. How had this happened? She was used to being alone and now here she was, sitting there while Tom Riddle insulted her. Myrtle frowned.

"You know, I liked you a lot more when you ignored me."

Tom laughed and leaned back in his seat. "That's a first." Then he moved forward, leaning his elbows on his knees. "So, you admit that you like me. Not that I'm that surprised, really."

This flared up Myrtle again and she stared at him, aghast.

"You-you…ugh!" She growled, throwing her hands in the air in surrender. Tom laughed again and leaned back in his seat.

"I'm just kidding, Brennan. I could hardly care less what those _people" _he spit out the word like it was a disease, "think of me. Much less what you think."

Myrtle rolled her eyes. She got enough teasing and insults at school from the rest of the student body. She didn't need it from haughty Tom Riddle.

"I don't understand why Sabetha even bothers." She murmured under her breath, looking away from Tom. He snorted, apparently hearing her.

"Nor do I."

It was silent again, the wheels of the carriage bumping along down the dirt road the only sound. Myrtle was trying to calm herself down, suddenly eager to get out of the carriage and away from Tom Riddle.

She practically leaped out of the carriage when it came to a stop. Kids were already running off. She looked around for Sabetha but was amiss. She did, however, notice Georgina Sampson walk into Quidditch Supplies with the rest of the team. Myrtle began strolling down the street, gazing into the windows of the stores. She didn't stop until she saw what she was looking for-a little bookshop in between Teen Witch (where you could find the latest in teen fashion) and Miggleby's Robes (where cheap robes could be purchased).

Myrtle stepped into Winnie's Books and let out a sigh of relief. Today had been strange enough, and she couldn't wait to find a nice book to curl up with. She was just about done with _Crime and Punishment_.

She was the only customer in the store. Winnie Wadkins, the witch that owned the bookstore, nodded to her and smiled.

"Looking for anything in particular, Miss Brennan?" Myrtle had been a loyal customer of Winnie's for quite some time. Myrtle smiled and shook her head as she began to browse the store. She let her fingers run across the spines of books all lined up tightly on their shelves. Winnie's always smelt delicious-today it smelt like Pumpkin spice. Myrtle made a note to stop by the candy shop and pick up a package of Pumpkin Pastries.

The bell attached to the door chimed again. Myrtle stopped reading the names of the books and leaned around the bookcases to see who else had entered. She froze.

Tom Riddle stood there, glancing around the place with a contemplative look in his eyes. Myrtle hid back behind the bookshelves. She crossed her fingers, shut her eyes and prayed Tom would leave. No such luck. He looked around and assuming he was alone, turned to Winnie.

"How can I help you, young man?" Myrtle cringed at the tone Winnie used-higher pitched and breathless. It seemed even she was taken by Tom Riddle's charms.

"Yes, ma'am." He sounded so…seductive, Myrtle decided. His voice was calm and cool, almost musical. "I was wondering," Myrtle glanced through the open space on the bookshelf to see him lean over the desk. He was flirting with her! "I was wondering if you could perhaps help me find this book I'm looking for."

"Oh?" Winnie asked, quite embarrassed by the behavior of the younger, handsome boy. Winnie wasn't much older than Myrtle, but still an adult. Myrtle wrinkled her nose. Did Tom have to do this to everybody?

He slipped her something-a small sheet of parchment-and looked around the small store again. Winnie picked it up and read it before nodding. She looked at him and Myrtle was surprised to see a little wary look in the store owner's eyes.

Tom must have noticed it too because he immediately started smiling again, his straight teeth gaining Winnie's attention.

"You caught me. A friend of mine, a Muggle, is into all the occult stuff. I thought it might be funny."

Myrtle blinked. A Muggle? A friend of _his_?

That seemed enough. Winnie nodded again and moved from behind the counter to the row of shelves Myrtle had been hiding behind. Myrtle spun around and pulled the first book she saw off the shelf and buried her nose in it, pretending she had been reading it all along. Winnie walked right past the aisle Myrtle was hiding in, but Tom stopped and looked at her. His warm eyes stared into her and Myrtle was forced to look up, meeting his gaze.

Winnie came back with a big book in her hand. She handed it to Tom and then at Myrtle. Tom tore his gaze from Myrtle and smiled at Winnie, thanking her. His hand brushed hers slightly and Winnie reddened, muttering something about business and rushed to the front desk.

Tom looked back at Myrtle who kept her eyes on Tom the whole time. He smirked and stepped into the aisle.

"Fancy meeting you here."

"I should say the same. Are you following me?" Myrtle asked stiffly. Tom laughed and stopped right in front of Myrtle, turned and leaned again the bookcase. He reached out and touched the book she had in her hands.

"_The Sex_?" Myrtle looked down, horrified to see the book she was supposedly 'reading' was indeed, entitled _The Sex_ with a rather graphic photo of a man and woman on the front cover. She felt her body blush attack and quickly closed the book.

"I uh…" Tom grinned again.

"No need to explain." He said crossing his arms and looking very at ease. "I hear it's natural for girls our age, too."

Myrtle could have vomited. She squeezed her eyes shut and slid her glasses off, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"My, my, my, Miss Myrtle Brennan. I never pegged you for _that _kind of girl." Myrtle looked up at him, her brown eyes, no longer hidden beneath her spectacles, murderous.

"Can't you leave me alone, Riddle?" She sneered. Tom laughed again, a nasty habit that was grating on Myrtle's nerves.

"And to answer your question-no, I'm not following you. I had to pick out a present for a friend of mine." He said, holding up he book.

Myrtle's eyes narrowed and she pushed her glasses back on her face. "You're lying."

Tom looked over at her, his brows raised, looking as calm and cool as ever.

"Sorry?"

"You're lying. You told Winnie that that book was for a Muggle friend….Tom Riddle, you hate Muggles."Myrtle lowered her voice so not to attract the attention of a haired looking Winnie, who was busying herself with a stack of potion books on her front counter.

Myrtle's eyes shifted back onto Tom, where she expected to see him glaring at her. Instead he had a leisurely smile across his face and he winked at her. To her surprise, he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the door. He raised his book and Myrtle's, tossing a sack full of galleons onto the desk in front of Winnie.

"Keep the change!" He said to her, cheerfully, and yanked Myrtle out of the store. They were halfway down the street when Myrtle pulled herself free.

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?!" She cried. Tom smiled again.

"I thought we might carry our conversation somewhere else."

Myrtle raised the book in her hand, waving it around before remembering the graphic picture on the front. She quickly lowered it and pressed the design to her chest.

"And see? I even bought you a gift."

Myrtle gritted her teeth. "Not one I wanted."

"Oh?" Tom asked, raising his brows. "You seemed awfully into it, back at Winnie's." Myrtle flushed. She glared back at Tom.

"Sod off, Tom Riddle."

But she didn't move. The crowed moved around them, some of the students stopping to gaze at the miracle of the sight. Only Tom seemed to notice, and once again, he had her by the arm and was pulling her in another direction. He pulled her into an alley way between two stores. Myrtle noticed it was the enterance to Nockturn Alley. Her pulse began to speed up.

"What are we doing down here?" She asked, hoping she didn't sound as nervous as she really was. Tom looked around and shrugged.

"I just pulled you somewhere uncrowded."

"Why?" Myrtle asked, warily taking in the dark alley.

"You wanted to know why I bought this, didn't you? The real reason…"

Myrtle nodded, swallowing deeply. This place gave her the creeps.

"Well, it's kind of a strange hobby of mine…I get really into the dark magic." Tom began, smiling as though this explained everything. Myrtle continued to stare at him.

"There's a reason I'm doing so well in Defense against the Dark Arts." He continued. "There's something about dark magic…creepy and…well, interesting."

Myrtle stared and then nodded slowly. That made sense. Suddenly, an idea struck her. She looked slyly at Tom and then, as if copying him, grabbed his sleeve and pulled him deeper into the alley way.

"Where are we going?" Tom asked, sounding amused.

"You like Dark Magic, right? Well, I'm gonna show you something pretty…dark."

** Hope you enjoyed it. **


	3. Something About You

** Hey, guys. I hope you enjoy this chapter. =^_^= I like this story, really, I do. I love the idea of Myrtle and Tom Riddle together. I've been under a lot of stress the past few days (senior midterms and other high school issues) so this story is the perfect way to vent. DON'T FORGET TO WATCH THE VIDEO FOR THIS STORY ON YOUTUBE: Dare You to Move Tom/Myrtle  
**

**Something About You**

Myrtle had no clue what took over her. Never in her life had she imagined herself running around Knockturn Alley willingly-and never with Tom Riddle Junior. His hand was tightly secured in hers but he did not pull away, which, in her book, was always a good sign. He had big hands she noticed, strong, too. Myrtle shook her head. Thinking about things like how big Tom Riddle's hands were were no good.

Still, something came over her, which was what lead her here, grasping Tom Riddle's hand in hers and dragging him down Knockturn Alley to a shop she had stumbled upon once. She did not like Knockturn alley-and really, who would? However, it never hurt to know a thing or two to help out a cute boy. The shop was a discret one, snuggled between two other shops she dared not enter.

Myrtle pulled Tom into the store, immediately dropping his hand from her own. She wipped it on her jean clad leg. Tom snorted and shoved her gently with his shoulder to get better access into the store. Like everywhere else in Knockturn Alley, Dohannavan's was a dark, dusty place, reeking of the illegal and uncouth. The only reason Myrtle could find herself shopping there was it's mass variety of reading material. Of course, there was not a muggle book to be found but Myrtle enjoyed the books Dohannavan's had to offer. Dark and terrfying or not, they were still filled to the brim with information. Myrtle silently thanked God that he had bestowed enough courage in her to face this creepy place in order to impress a cute boy.

"You brought me into Knockturn alley for a book?" Tom Riddle asked, smirking a little. Myrtle frowned and began walking to the back of the store. An elderly man at the counter reading the Daily Prophet, looked over at them with dark, curious eyes.

"That book you've got there-that one. It's no good. I've had to have read it at least fifty times. If you want some real help on Dark creatures and what not, you'll want to look here." She fumbled around an asile. "Oh, here it is…"

Myrtle pulled a big, leather clad book from the shelf. It was old, tattered and torn, dusty, too. Tom looked over her shoulder wairly. He was a whole head taller than her and he leaned forward in an attempt to view the book in her hands better. He frowned. She was short. She was not ugly, he would give her that. Her long brown hair had been pulled up, but several rebellious strands fell around her neck and face. Leaning in, he could not help but smell her. She smelt like coconut. He moved his head away quickly.

"I suppose you've found something more exciting?"Tom asked grinning.

Myrtle grinned back.

"How do you know it is any good?"

"This book is half the reason I passed my D.A.D.A. finals. I ow it tons."

Tom looked at the book and then at Myrtle. "You don't strike me as the type of girl who'd be into all the dark magic."

"I'm not." She admitted. "I just believe there's much more to worry about than uncontrollable pixies and mutated ghosts."

"Oh?" Tom asked. The book keeper looked up at them, but Myrtle had her back to him. Tom's eyes met his and he quickly looked away.

"Yeah." Myrtle said excitedly. She took the book from him and flipped through the pages. "Vampires, werewolves and all kinds of spells and curses-deadly ones, forbidden since the time of Merlin…"

"The unforgivable curses?" Tom's question had the storeowner looking back at the two, his eyes narrowing.

"Yeah, like in _Hogwarts: A History_. Salizar Slytherin was famous for-"

"I think its best you two left."The storeowner's gruff vice stopped Myrtle from continuing. She glanced nervously at Tom.

"We better go." She tugged on his sleve. The old man glared as they put the book down and left the store. Myrtle led the way out of Knockturn Alley.

That place always gives me the creeps."Myrtle shuttered as they entered the sunny streets of Hogsmeade again.

"I'll give you my copy of the book. It's in my belongings at school."She glanced at her watch. "As for now, I really should get going. I'm supposed to meet everyone for lunch." She waved to Tom and began down the street.

"Brennan!" Tom called after her.

"Yeah?"she asked, throwing a hand over her eyes to sheild them from the sun.

"Could you use a date?"

Myrtle stopped. Was this real? Had Tom Riddle actually asked her out on a date?

"I…"Myrtle was at a loss for words. She wasn't a big fan of Tom's-he was either ignoring her or insulting her, which didn't put him in a friend category. But he was Tom Riddle and he was incredibly good looking.

"I'll take that as a yes."

***

Myrtle hated a lot of things. She hated people to stuck their noses in other people's business, she hated confrentation, she hated lovey dovey couples and she hated trends. However, there was one thing she hated most of all, and that was when people stared at her. Being the center of attention not only made her uncomfortable but pissed her off.

And now everyone in the Boar's Head was staring at her, Tom Riddle Junior in tow. He was brushing off water droplets from his hat. Myrtle tried to ignore the peircing stares of the other students sitting in the Boar's Head and stepped forward to rush to her table. She was stopped when two large hands set themselves on her shoulders heavily.

"Hey, don't you want to put up your jacket?" He asked, and he patted the bag with their two books that sat in the large pocket inside her coat. Myrtle flushed and nodded quickly, while Tom peeled her jacket from her shoulders and hung it neatly on the coat rack beside his. This made Myrtle blush as well, and she tried to shake off the feeling, instead, moving as quickly as she could to her destination after whispering, "Thank you".

"Tom!" Sabetha exclaimed as he slid up behind a flushing Myrtle. The eyes of all her friends were on Myrtle and the tall boy behind her. As if the humiliation did not end at their shocked expressions, Tom pulled out a chair and motioned Myrtle to sit down. With all his genuious and smooth moves, it really did look like a date, or so Myrtle gathered from the widening of the eyes of the girls. Even the boys: John Whinston,Elija Hagardee and Logan Phillips stared in disbelief. Tristian Black, a lanky dark haired Slytherin, was Tom's friend, and chose to ignore the enterance.

"Hey there, Tom. I didn't expect you to be joining us."He said, sipping at a large mug of butterbeer. Tom shrugged nonchalantly and took the seat beside Myrtle. Sabetha, Adrianna, Margret and Georgina were still staring at her. After a few seconds, letting the shock sink in, they blushed and adverted their eyes.

"So, Tom…" Sabetha began, nervously. "What have you been up to?"

Tom raised a brow. "Myrtle and I were just looking around. I've got to go holiday shopping."

"Oh? And you chose Myrtle to be your shopping buddy?" Margret snorted disbelievingly. Tom frowned handsomely, and he placed his arm around the back of Myrtle's chair. Myrtle froze.

What the hell was he doing?

"She's actually quite a decent shopper, if I may say so myself."

The other girls exchanged unsure glances.

Tom slapped his knees. "Well, it looks like you guys already ordered. I'll go up and order for us." He turned to Myrtle. "What would you like?"

Myrtle paled. "Oh, um…" she mentally slapped herself for sounding so brainless just because a boy was around. She focused for a moment and then smiled. "I'll take a cheeseburger and french fries.*"

Tom nodded. "Are you planning on drinking?" He teased.

"A coke." Myrtle smiled.

Tom nodded again and moved toward the open bar. All eyes reverted back to Myrtle instantly.

"Oh my God."

"Are you secretl y going out with Tom Riddle?"

"Oh my God."

Myrtle rolled her eyes at her friends' inquesition. "Please guys, we're just hanging out. Can't a boy and a girl just be friends in this place?"

Even Georgina looked unconvinced. She played with the end of her ponytail nervously.

"Oh, come on! I promise you, Tom Riddle and I are _not _dating! I barely know the just wound up in the same carriage and-"

"Oh, please. Weren't you the one who was just chastizing me for the Riddle factor? And now you're on date with him. Is this why he denied Sabs?" Margret sneered characteristicly.

Myrtle flushed. Sabetha's concerened eyes reached Myrtle's in question.

"No!" Myrtle ground out, feeling the anger building. Margret was starting to really piss her off.

Sabetha stared into her eyes for a moment before nodding and looking away.

"If Myrtle says its not a date then its not a date."

*** I know, I know...the cheeseburger and fries is a little too American and a little too Muggle, but I wrote that part early in the morning before school one day...and I can't ever think of anything good they would eat....so burgers and fries seemed safe. Almost everyone likes burgers and fries, right? Well, expect more!**


	4. Don't Touch What's Not Yours

This was not a date.

It was not a date. Even though Tom pulled her chair out so she could sit, even though he took her coat and hung it on the rack, even though he got up, ordered her food, brought it to her and even _paid _for it, Myrtle convinced herself that in no way could this outing be considered a date.

It was not like Tom Riddle to take a girl out on a date. He was quiet and kind of a loner. He was cold and callous. Nothing about his attitude would even have Myrtle _consider _dating Tom. Tom was a Prefect. He was an orphan. He had grown wealthy over the years from Merlin knew what and he was somewhat snobby. He was a know-it-all who got perfect scores and who the teachers all _adored_.

Sure, Tom was handsome. He was gorgeous, in fact. That just gave more reason as to why this could certainly not be a date. Even with his unattractive persona, his looks alone proved to put Tom Riddle way out of Myrtle Brennan's league. In fact, she was in a completely different ballpark, almost to the brink of football. No drug in both the Muggle and Wizarding world combined could justify the logic of Tom taking Myrtle on a date.

Myrtle groaned inwardly. She had made it her New Year's Resolution to stop being so down on herself and here she was, mentally degrading herself.

"So, Tom…"Margret purred obnoxiously. She leaned forward over the table and stroked his hands. Tom pulled his hands away immediately, shoving them under the table. "…what brings you here?" Margret tried to keep her voice even.

"I ran into Miss Brennan, here, and asked her if I could join her for lunch."

The students stared, unsure of how to take the information.

"Well," Georgina said with a smile, "I'm glad you joined us. Have you and Myrtle done your Christmas shopping?" She sipped her butterbeer shyly.

Tom nodded casually. He leaned back in his chair, pushing it off its front legs.

Myrtle nodded. Her brown eyes met with Sabetha's, who was staring at her wearily. Myrtle took a huge sip from her butterbeer and looked away. Why did she feel so ashamed? It wasn't as if she'd _taken_ Tom from Sabetha. And besides, Sabs was too good for a guy like him. Tom was weird and so freakishly interested in the Dark Arts. It just wasn't normal. Had Sabetha lived in the muggle world she would have been a cheerleader.

"So, what have you got planned for the duration of your stay?" Georgie was really trying.

"I wanted to go to Honeydukes." Myrtle entered, smiling at the pretty red head.

Margret snorted. "Of course she does." No one responded, quite used to the blond's obvious joke.

Tom sat there silently while he polished off his burger. He glanced sidelong at Myrtle and then back at his empty plate. Myrtle had barely touched hers.

"Not hungry?" He asked. Myrtle bit her lip and stared at her plate. Margret's fat jokes aside, it wasn't like Myrtle not to eat her food. Olive Hornsby had on many occasions, laughed at her as she helped herself to seconds at dinner.

Not wanting to seem totally daft, she replied, "Not really. Here, I can pay you back,"

"Don't be silly." Tom interrupted. "Let's just get going."

That whole day had been a total mystery to Myrtle. It had started out like any other day. But she didn't know why Tom had joined her carriage. Or why he followed her around all day and even bought her lunch. It was beginning to give her a headache.

If Sabetha was going to be mad at her, she didn't know what she would do. She was all Myrtle had at Hogwarts. She couldn't afford to lose her only friend.

"Well?" Tom asked, staring at her intently. Myrtle realized she had been lost in thought once again and blushed, nodding furiously. "Yeah. Let's go."

And with that said, the two walked out of the Boar's Head, ignoring the instant chatter that filled their table.

As Tom lead Myrtle down the street, his black velvet coat billowed in his wake. She tried not to look entirely stupid, even though a few students' eyes still followed them. She wasn't used to attention. Her mother barely had time for her. They lived in very different worlds and she spent most of her summers at the city park, sitting on the swing set feeling very alone. Sabetha was the popular one. She was pretty and smart and got along with just about everybody. Sabetha knew all the right things to say. She was good with people. She made people laugh. Myrtle was much more reserved, always finding humor in things most people found odd. How they had become so close, Myrtle wasn't sure. She had always managed to slip into the shadows and shun the stares of people. Only when people were jeering at her did the spotlight shine.

But when she stood beside Tom Riddle, people seemed genuinely interested. Who was the girl to gain the Slytherin's attention? What was so fantastic about her? Nothing, Myrtle thought with a sigh, nothing in particular. She was an awkward seventeen year old muggle born who wasn't dumb but was far from brainy, not fat but certainly not a catch and was too much of a smarty pants for teachers to be too concerned with. She had one friend in the entirety of the Hogwarts student body and even Sabetha found her rather dull at times.

The two didn't speak when they reached Malkin's, or while Tom browsed through the men's robes. Myrtle busied herself by checking out a new line of silk robes imported from Japan. They were beautiful and immediately she craved to buy one. One look at the price tag and she dropped the silk like it was on fire. The blue green robe cost two summers worth of babysitting. With great effort, she willed herself to walk away and back to the racks of Malkin's cheaper robes.

She spotted Tom with Malkin-a short, young red headed witch, who kept giggling every few seconds. Myrtle snorted loudly and very unattractively. She wondered if Tom could tell. Did he notice how girls turned into pools of gross girl-goo around him? How could he not? With Malkin giggling loudly and touching him just so, a blind man could see her attraction to him. Tom just smiled coolly and flirted back, just as debonair as one ought to believe he was, what with such a handsome face. Myrtle didn't know whether to be grossed further or to be slightly embarrassed at their blatant behavior.

Ignoring them would have been the best route. But with the day being chalk full of surprises-thanks to Mr. Popular-Myrtle didn't get a chance to slink on past. As she neared, Tom called out to her, turning his dishy smile from a flustered looking Malkin to Myrtle herself.

"Say, Myrtle. Miss Malkin was just telling me that these were the best robes around. How do you think they look?" he asked and for the first time Myrtle took in his appearance. He had shed his black velvet overcoat for a sleek silky looking set of robes. They were black, of course, but did much justice to the dark haired boy. With his pale features and hazel eyes, Tom looked swell enough in black, Myrtle admitted easily.

"They're...lovely." She answered unsure. Of course he looked absolutely smashing. The way girls in the shop were eying him as if he were a large buffet was enough to attest to that.

Tom smiled and began straightening the robes proudly. Out of the corner of her eye, Myrtle noticed Malkin rudely surveying her; her round nose pert in the air and her brows raised in disapproval. Yes, being ignored was definitely better than being popular.

The sun was beginning to set and the air began to get cooler when the students began to board the carriages back to school. Myrtle was in a dark mood. The trip to Hogsmeade had been more troublesome than fun. Being around Tom Riddle took quite the toll on a person's nerves. Then again, Myrtle had never been part of the public eye-unless you counted all the times Olive Hornby picked on her. It was no wonder Tom had no close friends. It was tiring just being so close to him for one afternoon.

The ride back to the school was fairly quiet, for Myrtle and for Tom at least. The latter chose not to speak, and Myrtle decided upon nicknaming him 'pendulum boy' due to his flaky personality shifts. He had gone in between being obnoxiously rude and being obnoxiously sweet. It was quite unnerving. She rubbed her temples gently as she stared out the window and contemplated the boy sitting next to her and what rumors would certainly be circling around the castle by dinner time. She wondered _why_ he was with her. _Why_ was he talking to her? And _why_ had he treated her so lovely around her friends?

It was all terribly confusing.

Myrtle and Tom didn't speak the whole ride home. When the carriages stopped in front of the castle, Myrtle once again hopped out as quickly as she could, clutching the book, which she had wrapped in a parcel, tightly to her chest.

Without even bothering to say 'goodbye' to Tom, she hurried up the front steps of the school, and pushed her way through the crowd of students who were talking excitedly, still high from their trip. She was moving quickly, and hardly noticed Olive Hornby and her circle of friends, until one stuck out their foot, sending Myrtle flying to the ground.

Some students ignored the scene, while several stopped to laugh along with Olive and her snobbish moronic friends. Myrtle looked up at their stupid, laughing faces and growled. It seemed as if Olive had made it her life mission to torture Myrtle, as she hadn't left her alone since the first day of school, after Myrtle accidentally dropped a whole bowl of cooked oats all over Olive's shiny new uniform. Of course, Myrtle had begged for forgiveness, but Olive wouldn't hear it, and had made sure to somehow make Myrtle life miserable ever since.

None of the students moved to help her up, although some looked down at her, pity in their eyes. They only shook their heads and continued walking.

"What _are _you doing down there?" Olive jeered excitedly. "I didn't know the floors could be any filthier, but with a disgusting, stupid Mudblood laying there, I suppose it _can_."

"Look at this!" Someone shouted, and Myrtle felt the blood drain from her face as Laurel Hanson, a thin, blond henchman of Olive's, held Myrtle's present high in the air. The parcel had been torn from being tread on enough that the title and graphic front was bare. This sent the students surrounding the group to howl in laughter and Myrtle to wish the floor would be _real_ magic, and swallow her up whole.

"Let me see!" Olive screeched, snatching the book from the other Ravenclaw girl. "What's _this_?" she said with malevolent glee present in her blue eyes. "Ugly, Mudblood Myrtle Brennen is reading a _sex_ novel?" She flipped through the pages, her excitement growing. "Quite _scandalous_, aren't you, mudblood? Have you _tried_ any of these positions?"

The crowd roared louder and Myrtle buried her face in her hands, but Olive didn't stop there. She began reading from the book. "_To gain the greatest of pleasures, foreplay is a must. To satisfy her partner, a woman can bring a man to orgasm by putting her mouth around his genitals-_My, my, the mudblood seems to like it _quite_ dirty!"

"Seems fitting enough. After all, if not fellatio_, _what else would be the use of keeping something as ugly and useless as her around?" Another girl chimed in, causing the crowd to laugh.

"Teacher!" Someone shouted, and the group immediately began to disperse. Olive looked down at Myrtle with complete disdain and sneered, "_Disgusting, filthy_, little mudblood. Don't go around touching things that aren't yours." before dropping the book square on Myrtle's head and marching off with her gaggle of girls in tow.

Myrtle laid on the floor for a few long, passing minutes. When she finally gathered the strength to stand, she realized the front of the school was empty. She rubbed the back of her head. The book had been quite heavy, and Myrtle was lucky if a bump or knot didn't form by morning.

As Myrtle made her way to the dorm rooms, she fumed silently. Whatever embarrassment she had caused Olive first year had long been repaid, and she had already had a difficult enough day without the dark haired girl sticking her perfect little nose in her business. And what _had_ she meant by '_not touching things that aren't yours' ? _

_ Of course_, Myrtle paused bitterly, _who have you been hanging around all day? Who has the whole school seen ugly, stupid, Myrtle Brennan with?_ Of course Olive would be upset that she had been seen with Tom. It wasn't as if Olive was dating Tom, but it was public knowledge that Olive fancied Tom-_and really, who didn't?-_although he had never paid a lick of attention to her. Of course it unnerved Olive to see Tom so _interested_ in a stupid, ugly mudblood like her. Myrtle briefly considered the rumors that must be flying around the school about them showing up at the _Boar's Head_ together.

She groaned inwardly. She _liked_ being invisible. It made life easier. She never wished for popularity or to even be invited to parties. Living life under the radar seemed perfectly harmless enough, and she seemed to be quite successful at it, save for Olive's teasing. But now, no, things would be different.

_You were living a life of blissful invisibility, and you just HAD to go and mess it all up by hanging out with Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Mysterious. No wonder people laugh at you, you really ARE a moron! _Myrtle smacked the side of her head, only remembering the bruise when doing so caused stars to from in the back of her eyes and her vision blurred for a second.

_Great,_ Myrtle thought angrily. _What a perfect, wonderful day._


End file.
